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Marie Donoghue Joining DraftKings Executive Team

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Marie Donoghue Joining DraftKings Executive Team

Former Amazon Prime Video executive Marie Donoghue is joining DraftKings to serve as its chief business and growth officer. DraftKings currently produces and/or licenses various sports programs discussing various parts of the industry, including The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, All The Smoke and GoJo and Golic. News of Donoghue’s new role was first reported by Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post.

“We are delighted to welcome Marie Donoghue to our executive team and the immense wealth of experience she brings as a highly-regarded leader and trailblazer within our industry,” Jason Robins, DraftKings chief executive officer and co-founder, said in a statement. “Marie’s exceptional track record speaks for itself, and she is poised to be a transformative force in our company’s future success.”

Donoghue worked at Amazon since 2018 as the company’s vice president of global sports video, a role that gave her oversight regarding the future of the outlet’s endeavors in sports. During her tenure, the company acquired exclusive Thursday Night Football broadcasting rights with the National Football League and recently attained its most-watched season with an average of 11.86 million viewers last season. The company also broadcast an exclusive Black Friday football game in addition to documentaries including Bye Bye Barry, Kelce and Reggie.

“I am thrilled to be joining DraftKings during this exciting phase and have long admired the organization’s steady rise as an industry innovator,” Donoghue said in a statement. “This is a special opportunity to expand on its industry-leading position and propel the company to new heights.”

ESPN to Televise Podcasts on ESPN2 in New Seasonal Content Initiative

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ESPN to Televise Podcasts on ESPN2 in New Seasonal Content Initiative

ESPN has announced that it will commence a seasonal content initiative in which a variety of its podcast offerings will be televised on its ESPN2 linear channel. Beginning on Monday, Jan. 29, ESPN consumers will be able to watch video productions of podcasts from 2 to 3 p.m. EST, including The Hoop Collective and The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny. While the duration of the programming change remains unknown, the linear component will grant an opportunity for ESPN’s podcast offerings to reach a new segment of the audience.

“This strategic content initiative provides our ESPN podcasts with a tremendous opportunity for continued growth and audience expansion, while simultaneously lending compelling content to our ESPN2 television lineup,” Mike Foss, ESPN senior vice president, production, said in a statement. “The opening slate of podcasts combine timely, in-season sports – First Draft, The Hoop Collective and The Lowe Post – and high-profile ESPN personalities such as Mina Kimes and Elle Duncan.”

On Mondays, Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates will bring fans First Draft, looking at the top prospects ahead of the NFL Draft. The NFL Draft will take place on Thursday, April 25 through Saturday, April 27 and is slated to be televised by The Walt Disney Company networks of ABC and ESPN. The focus shifts from football to basketball on Tuesday afternoons where ESPN senior NBA writer Brian Windhorst hosts The Hoop Collective, welcoming various ESPN NBA insiders to discuss the latest news, rumors and information around the Association.

Zach Lowe will be featured on Wednesday afternoons where he will combine reporting, data analysis and film study to look at the NBA on The Lowe Post. Mina Kimes will also analyze data and film on Thursday afternoons with her show, along with a guest from the NFL in her podcast, The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny, in partnership with Omaha Productions. The week concludes with SportsCenter anchors Elle Duncan and Gary Striewski providing entertaining sports talk on The Elle Duncan Show every Friday.

The network has various additional podcast offerings hosted by network personalities and active and former players, including Adrian Wojnarowski, CJ McCollum and Vince Carter. There are also options produced in tandem with Omaha Productions featuring personalities including Kevin Clark, Katie Mox and Greg McElroy. Monday’s premiere of the new hour dedicated to these podcasts will be preceded by First Take, which is presented by ESPN BET. Earlier in the day, viewers can watch ESPN Radio’s national morning show, Unsportsmanlike, featuring Evan Cohen, Chris Canty and Michelle Smallmon, presented by Progressive.

Tim Conway Jr.: I Don’t Know Why We Don’t See More Newsmen Like Charles Osgood Now

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Tim Conway Jr.: I Don’t Know Why We Don’t See More Newsmen Like Charles Osgood Now

Earlier this week, former CBS News anchor Charles Osgood died at the age of 91. KFI AM-640 afternoon host Tim Conway Jr. questions why we don’t see more hosts like the venerable anchor anymore.

While discussing Osgood’s career Wednesday, Conway Jr. shared one of his favorite memories of the former CBS Sunday Morning anchor, and wondered aloud why you no longer see similar projects in today’s media landscape.

“I remember listening to Charles Osgood on the radio when you’re driving around,” said Conway Jr. “And he would drive around the country — in his later years — in a big Winnebago, and go to small little towns. You would never see that. He talked to local people there, and they’re all terrific people, and always great.

“I don’t know why a show like that doesn’t work anymore or you never see it anymore,” Tim Conway Jr. remarked.

In addition to his tenure hosting CBS Sunday Morning, Charles Osgood also hosted The Osgood File on CBS News Radio for more than 45 years before stepping away in 2016.

ESPN Won’t Replace Doc Rivers on NBA Broadcasts — For Now

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ESPN isn’t replacing new Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers on its NBA broadcasts just yet. According to ESPN the top broadcast team of Mike Breen and Doris Burke will not have a third person join them yet and will run as a duo.

According to the ESPN press release highlighting the return of NBA Saturday Primetime, Breen and Burke will call the action and be joined by Lisa Salters as a reporter. The other broadcast teams will stay intact for now. Ryan Ruocco will still be flanked by Richard Jefferson and JJ Redick, and Dave Pasch will remain alongside Hubie Brown.

Sentiments from basketball fans have been mixed. Many want to see departed ESPN talents Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson return to the booth. Others hoped to see ESPN’s rising basketball star JJ Redick added to the A-team.

ESPN hired Rivers last July following his dismissal by the Philadelphia 76ers in May. Just weeks into the NBA season, Rivers agreed to a deal to take over as coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, who fired coach Adrian Griffin 43 games into the season.

Jim Powell Not Returning to Atlanta Braves Radio Broadcasts in 2024

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Longtime Atlanta Braves radio play-by-play announcer Jim Powell has announced that he will not return to the broadcast booth for the 2024 season. In a statement posted to X, Powell disclosed that he has called his last game for the organization and thanked the fans who welcomed and accepted him and his family within the locale. Additionally, he stated that he will refrain from speculating about why this happened, understanding that it is at the discretion of the employer to determine if changes are necessary.

“I have zero regrets,” Powell said. “On the contrary I am so very grateful to have made so many great friends at Turner Field and Truist Park. I feel like I have benefitted from knowing so many great professionals throughout this experience. I literally have friends from the basement of the stadium to the rafters. I’ll miss seeing you all every day.”

Powell, who came to the Braves following the retirement of Pete Van Wieren and passing of Skip Caray in 2009, previously worked on radio broadcasts for the Milwaukee Brewers alongside Bob Uecker. During his decade-and-a-half with the team, he had the opportunity to work alongside Don Sutton, Joe Simpson and Mark Lemke. The team finished in first place of the National League East division for seven of the 15 years he was behind the mic, including the last six in a row. Moreover, Powell had the privilege to call a World Series victory when the team earned the Commissioner’s Trophy in a 4-2 series win over the Houston Astros in 2021.

The decision to move on from Powell is the latest move that will reshape the sound of Braves games after changes at Bally Sports South/Southeast. Play-by-play announcer Chip Caray departed the team to call games for the St. Louis Cardinals in his hometown, leading to the hire of Brandon Gaudin. C.J. Nitkowski is set to join the television broadcasts as an analyst after Jeff Francoeur decided to take on a reduced game schedule.

As for the team’s radio booth, no additional changes have been announced at this time. Moreover, it remains unknown whether the team will seek out anyone to take on Powell’s role or if it will opt to have Joe Simpson and Ben Ingram call games together on a regular basis.

“I will update you on where I go from here as I’m seeking new challenges in baseball as well as outside of baseball,” Powell said, concluding his statement. “Thank you all again for listening! We had a lot of fun together.”

Paramount CEO Bob Bakish Alerts Staffers on Impending Layoffs

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Paramount CEO Bob Bakish Alerts Staffers on Impending Layoffs

Several media companies have announced mass layoffs in recent weeks. Now it appears Paramount is going to join that growing list.

Paramount CEO Bob Bakish announced layoffs at the company Thursday, claiming it would need to “operate as a leaner company and spend less”.

“Our priority is to drive earnings growth. And we’ll get there by growing our revenue while closely managing costs — a balance that will require every team, division, and brand to be aligned,” Bakish said in a memo, according to CNBC’s Alex Sherman. “Where possible, we’ll look to expand our shared services model as we streamline operations. As it has over the past few years, this does mean we will continue to reduce our workforce globally,”

The impending layoffs coincide with reports that Skydance Media is working on a deal to purchase the company and take it private. Previous reports claimed Warner Bros. Discovery had begun explorative talks to consider a merger with Paramount, but few details have emerged since those December reports.

In the memo, Bakish did not reveal how many jobs the company expects to cut in the coming weeks.

ESPN Chicago Announces Lineup Changes

BSM Staff
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ESPN Chicago and station owner Good Karma Brands has announced a series of upcoming changes to the weekday on-air lineup, including an additional hour of Carmen & Jurko and an extended 30-minute Crosstalk segment with afternoon-drive show, Waddle & Silvy.

The changes are set to take place beginning on Monday, January 29 when Carmen & Jurko will expand to three hours, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The last half hour will offer fans 30 minutes of Crosstalk, a combined segment bringing together Carmen & Jurko and Waddle & Silvy.

ESPN Chicago listeners will continue to hear four full hours of Waddle & Silvy, the longest running sports talk duo in Chicago, starting at 2:30 p.m. with Crosstalk and extending through 6:30 p.m.

“You’ve been asking for an extra hour, you’re gonna get an extra hour,” said Carmen DeFalco when making the on-air announcement complete with party hats and horns. His partner, John “Jurko” Jurkovic added, “It’s a lot of exciting news.”

“We’re excited to offer our fans more of what they love – sports conversations, entertainment, and passion from our ESPN Chicago talent. Carmen and Jurko have been an on-air duo for 15 years, and we are excited to offer fans more of the show. The new programming line-up with Waddle and Silvy live until 6:30 p.m. will take you all the way home on your commute,” said Danny Zederman, director of content, ESPN Chicago.

Jason Whitlock: Howard Stern is the Original Sellout

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Jason Whitlock: Howard Stern is the Original Sellout

Jason Whitlock has been in a long-running feud with virtually any media member who dares cross him in recent weeks. However, he took exception to the idea that Howard Stern doesn’t know who he is.

During his Fearless podcast with TheBlaze, Jason Whitlock argued that both Stephen A. Smith and Howard Stern are “plants” in the media, and took umbrage with the idea that Stern would insinuate he doesn’t even know who Whitlock is during a recent discussion with Smith.

“Howard Stern is the original sellout. I used to like Howard Stern,” Whitlock revealed. He continued by noting that he and Stern feuded on Twitter just days after the SiriusXM host joined the platform, making it hard to believe that the only black voice in America defending Don Imus would fly under Stern’s radar for all these years.

Jason Whitlock went on to claim that Stern got to his current status by doing the exact same things he’s doing now.

“Are you suggesting that Howard Stern never feuded with the rest of the media? Are you suggesting that Howard Stern never feuded with the rest of the media? That Howard Stern didn’t have a list of enemies 10 times the length of mine? This is what selling out and what the alphabet mafia does,” posited Whitlock. “When they have the bag of balls when they have in the dirt on you. They turned formerly honest and transparent people into liars. And then the next thing you know, they don’t even know how they got there. How did you get the $500 million contract from Sirius? It wasn’t feuding against the establishment? Stop it, Howard.”

Chicago White Sox Hire John Schriffen as Play-By-Play Announcer

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Chicago White Sox Hire John Schriffen as Play-By-Play Announcer

The Chicago White Sox have a new play-by-play man in the booth — former ESPN and CBS broadcaster John Schriffen. Schriffen will take over play-by-play responsibilities for the White Sox on NBC Sports Chicago beginning with the upcoming 2024 season.

According to MLB.com, Schriffen was chosen from among a small pool of finalists, including multiple phone interviews and an in-person visit to Guaranteed Rate Field. What started as a brief interview with team chairman Jerry Reinsdorft and TV analyst Steve Stone turned into a three-hour dinner. “We hit it off immediately,” Schriffen said. “Everybody knows Steve Stone is the greatest. He has done everything in baseball broadcasting – the dude is a legend…He was as excited if not more excited for me. That’s how much of a good dude he is.”

Specifics of the deal were not disclosed but the MLB.com report says it is a “multi-year deal.” Schriffen replaces the departing Jason Benetti, who announced he was leaving the White Sox to call games for the Detroit Tigers late last year. Schriffen says he can’t try to be Benetti, nor can he be former White Sox TV legends Harry Caray or Ken Harrelson — all he can do is be himself.

“You can’t try to be somebody that you are not,” Schriffen told MLB.com. “Chicago sports fans are intelligent, they are smart, they are the best fans in the country. If you are trying to be somebody else, they are going to see you as a fraud.”

The White Sox begin their 2024 season on March 28 on the road against the Detroit Tigers.

Sean McDonough on WEEI: Doing Red Sox Games When They Are 20 Games Out is Not Fun

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Sean McDonough of ESPN had his regular segment with The Greg Hill Show on WEEI yesterday and when the topic came to the Red Sox, he did not pull any punches.

The segment started off with some rather humorous skiing talk as McDonough made it very clear he is not a good skier nor does he enjoy it. He then told a great story about trying to get down a slope in the French Alps during the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France with teammate Lesly Visser.

The conversation then turned to the Red Sox. Host Greg Hill asked McDonough about his thoughts on the offseason the Red Sox have had.

“I am wondering if you share the same concern that I do,” asked Hill. “Which is this team finished in last place last year, has finished in last place three of the last four years and based on what (Red Sox President and CEO) Sam Kennedy said over the weekend that they are, this year, spending less than they did last year. Is that a concern of yours when it comes to the expectation that they would improve?”

“Yes,” replied McDonough.

He then continued, “How have they improved? I don’t think they’ve improved and at the very least, based on what I’ve read, if you’re waiting for these young prospects…don’t say ‘we are going full throttle this winter’ – what did that mean? Don’t raise people’s expectations and then you don’t do anything, which is what they did. It is hard to imagine they’re going to be better. What have they done this winter to be better?”

McDonough has called Red Sox games on radio since 2019 and previously called their games on television. He told the show he had selfish reasons to wanting the Red Sox to be an improved team. “I’m only salty because I just agreed to do more games for this fine radio station and the Red Sox network,” McDonough said. “And most of them will be in July and August after I get done with the Stanley Cup Playoffs and it’s not fun when they are 20 games out of first place in July.”

He then added about this coming season, “You want to do games that are meaningful and fans want to go to games that are meaningful. The prospect of that is low, given recent results…and the ‘nothing burger’ that they’ve done this winter.”

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